Chapter 112: Shen Yiyi Laughed Heartily

When it was time to prepare breakfast, Shen Yiyi finally woke Li Chen up.

After finishing breakfast, it was time to pay New Year’s visits.

Shen Yiyi discussed with Li Chen: “Brother Chen, you were able to join the transport team thanks to Brother Liang. Let’s go visit him for the New Year, shall we?”

Li Chen hesitated a little. “Wife, I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Shen Yiyi asked.

“Well… Station Chief Liang’s wife, Yu Hong, she…” Li Chen was not the type to speak ill of others behind their backs, but if he kept silent, he was afraid his wife might suffer grievances. So, he decided to tell her everything. “A few years ago, she wanted to introduce me to her niece. I refused, so she might have some opinions about me.”

Shen Yiyi was speechless for a moment.

Then, she couldn’t help but laugh. “You can’t force these things. After all these years, her niece must be married by now, right? She should have moved on.”

“…She is also quite materialistic.” Li Chen added.

Shen Yiyi immediately understood. To put it bluntly, she was just snobbish. She couldn’t help but ask: “Did she make things difficult for you?”

“Not really, just rather cold toward me.” Li Chen replied.

Yu Hong had no idea how much money he had made. She merely assumed he was a countryside man who couldn’t offer anything valuable to collaborate with Liang Jun.

Since it was such a secretive matter, and Yu Hong was quite sociable, Liang Jun couldn’t explain everything to her in detail. He had only warned her to be polite to Li Chen. However, Yu Hong believed that he was merely relying on Liang Jun. Coupled with the fact that he had rejected her niece before, she had always put on an air of superiority in front of him.

Li Chen had little interaction with her and never bothered to explain himself.

However, he still said: “But this time, we truly owe Brother Liang a favor, so I’m worried she might give you a hard time.”

He didn’t want her to be treated poorly.

“That makes it even more necessary for us to go.” Shen Yiyi insisted. She never liked owing people favors. “We have to return what we owe. Otherwise, once you officially join the transport team, who knows how she might talk about you… Don’t worry, I won’t let myself be mistreated.”

Li Chen couldn’t argue with her, so he had no choice but to agree.

Shen Yiyi swiftly packed up their things—nuts, apples, chocolates, five pounds of cured meat, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy…

They packed a large gift bundle with all sorts of items, and the family of five set off.  

As the transport team’s station chief, Liang Jun’s household was naturally well-off. Their home was located in a prime area of the city, consisting of three rooms and a spacious courtyard.  

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged woman, around forty years old. She had a plump figure and, though no longer young, still carried an air of elegance. It was evident that she lived a comfortable life.  

“Brother Liang’s wife.” Li Chen greeted first, his tone neither humble nor overbearing. “We’re here to wish you a happy New Year.”  

“Oh.” the woman responded indifferently. Her gaze then shifted to Shen Yiyi behind him. “And this is…?”  

“This is my wife.” Li Chen replied. Then, turning to Shen Yiyi, his tone noticeably softened compared to when he spoke with the woman. “Wife, this is Brother Liang’s wife.”  

Shen Yiyi gave a polite smile. “Sister-in-law Liang.”  

Yu Hong looked Shen Yiyi up and down, somewhat surprised. She had long known that Li Chen had a wife and even three children. She had assumed that his wife must be an old and worn-out village woman, something she had often used to tease her niece.  

But she had never expected this—Shen Yiyi was so young, her face full of collagen, looking barely older than Yu Hong’s own daughter.  

She was wearing a light gray, knee-length cashmere coat from the Overseas Chinese Store, with a fluffy collar. Paired with black boots, her entire appearance was both elegant and refined.  

There was no trace of an old, weary-looking wife.  

Shen Yiyi remained composed under Yu Hong’s scrutiny. She had dressed carefully for this occasion—after all, the only thing that could counteract magic was more magic.  

Sure enough, Yu Hong’s attitude became less cold. She invited them inside and called out: “Old Liang, Li Chen and his wife are here for a New Year’s visit!”  

“Li Chen is here?” A deep, surprised male voice responded from within.  

Before anyone appeared, Shen Yiyi took the opportunity to take the gifts from Li Chen’s hands and smiled. “Sister-in-law Liang, Happy New Year. We brought a little something for you, just a small token to share with your family.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything. Our family isn’t short on food…”  

Yu Hong had already noticed the large package and assumed it was just some homegrown grains or other common foodstuffs—things her family had in abundance. She spoke politely but accepted the package rather absentmindedly. However, the moment she opened it, the words on her lips were swallowed back, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise.  

These were high-end goods?  

Shen Yiyi maintained her pleasant smile. “My mother brought them from Beijing.”  

“You’re a ‘zhiqing’?” Yu Hong asked. Given her elegant attire and the fact that her mother could bring things from Beijing, there was no other explanation.  

“Yes.”  

Yu Hong’s expression shifted subtly. In that brief moment, countless thoughts raced through her mind as she reassessed Shen Yiyi’s background and family conditions.  

At that moment, Liang Jun walked out. Seeing Li Chen, he burst into hearty laughter. “You, of all people, actually came to visit me for New Year’s?”  

“Brother Liang.” Li Chen greeted with a smile. “This is my wife.”  

Shen Yiyi also greeted him with a bright smile.  

Liang Jun was slightly surprised by how young she was, but he didn’t dwell on it. He simply exchanged a few pleasantries.  

When he saw the items in Yu Hong’s hands, he wasn’t the least bit surprised. He assumed they were just something Li Chen had procured through his usual means. Knowing that Li Chen had made quite a bit of money, he didn’t stand on ceremony. He playfully punched Li Chen’s shoulder and laughed: “You didn’t forget about me when you got your hands on some good stuff, huh? Good kid! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!”  

Yu Hong, on the other hand, was astonished that her husband wasn’t even fazed by the fact that Li Chen’s family could bring out such high-quality goods. At that moment, she started reevaluating Shen Yiyi’s family background with a whole new perspective.

Li Chen and Liang Jun had matters to discuss, so they went to the study.  

Yu Hong stayed behind to entertain Shen Yiyi. During their conversation, she subtly and not-so-subtly inquired about Shen Yiyi’s family background.  

Once she had gathered enough information, her demeanor changed completely. She finally broke into a warm smile and became much friendlier. Holding Shen Yiyi’s hand, she said: “Sister, you’ve already given birth to three kids, yet your skin is still so soft and radiant, like it could be squeezed for water! How do you take care of it?”  

Previously, Shen Yiyi’s good skin was thanks to the system. Now that the system was gone, she was using high-end skincare products from her spatial storage, products from the future. Since those things couldn’t be given away, she simply said: “I just use clam oil and snow cream.”  

“I use those too! How come my skin isn’t as good as yours?” Yu Hong was skeptical, convinced that Shen Yiyi was hiding some secret.  

Shen Yiyi leaned in and whispered something into her ear.  

Yu Hong’s expression instantly turned embarrassed. “You little girl, you look so innocent, but why do you talk so boldly?”  

How else was she supposed to divert Yu Hong’s attention?  

Shen Yiyi playfully huffed: “I’m telling the truth! If you don’t believe me, try it more often with Brother Liang!”  

“Hey! You’re still talking?” Yu Hong pretended to slap her but then stopped, pondering for a solid ten seconds before hesitantly asking: “Are you sure this is real? That can’t be right… My Old Liang and I used to be pretty frequent too. Maybe my Old Liang isn’t as high quality as your Li Chen?”  

“Pffft—hahaha!” Shen Yiyi hadn’t expected her to actually take it seriously. She couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.  

Realizing she had been tricked, Yu Hong became genuinely annoyed and lunged forward to swat at her.  

Shen Yiyi laughed so hard her stomach hurt. “I can’t—I can’t! My stomach hurts!”  

The three little ones playing in the courtyard stopped and looked at their mother in confusion.  

Li Chen and Liang Jun, hearing the commotion, came out as well, both equally puzzled.  

Li Chen was the most bewildered of all—he had never seen his wife laugh so unreservedly before.